Mattress for prone and supine sleeping and associated method

Abstract

A multi-purpose bed for permitting a user to comfortably lay face-down during extended time periods may include a mattress with a linear passageway formed between top and bottom surfaces. The passageway may also extend from the center of the mattress to opposed longitudinal sides thereof. A plurality of openings, connected to the passageway, may be formed in the top surface of the mattress. A plurality of pillows may be removably attached to the top of the mattress and positioned along partial perimeters of the openings. A plurality of panels may be situated beneath the openings. A mechanism for independently adapting each of the panels between open and closed positions for permitting and prohibiting free flow of the ambient air through a corresponding one of the openings and the passageway may also be included.

1. A multi-purpose bed for permitting a user to comfortably lay face-down during extended time periods, said multi-purpose bed comprising:
 a mattress having a linear passageway formed between top and bottom surfaces of said mattress, said passageway extending towards a center of said mattress and being disposed between opposed longitudinal sides of said mattress such that ambient air is permitted to ingress and egress between said bottom and top surfaces of said mattress, said mattress further having a plurality of openings formed through said top surface thereof, each of said openings being suitably sized and shaped for receiving a user face thereat while the user is laying face-down on said top surface of said mattress; 
 a plurality of pillows removably attached to said top surface of said mattress and positioned along partial perimeters of said openings respectively such that the user face is supported adjacent to said openings while the user is laying face-down on said mattress; 
 a plurality of panels adjustably situated beneath said openings respectively; and 
 means for independently adapting each of said panels between open and closed positions for permitting and prohibiting free flow of the ambient air through a corresponding one of said openings and said passageway respectively; 
 wherein each of said panels are displaced along corresponding travel paths extending subjacent to said openings and defined between said top and bottom surfaces of said mattress respectively for preventing air-borne fluids and debris from passing through said openings and said passageway respectively. 
 
     
     
       2. The multi-purpose bed of  claim 1 , wherein said independent panel adapting means comprises:
 a plurality of linear tracks formed along an interior wall of said mattress and spanning beneath said openings respectively, said linear tracks having a longitudinal length greater than a longitudinal length of said openings, said linear tracks outwardly extending away from a medial edge of said openings and terminating adjacent to said longitudinal sides of said mattress respectively; 
 wherein at least one portion of said panels is slidably interfitted within said linear tracks such that said panels remain disposed above said passageway and subjacent to said top surface of said mattress while being linearly displaced along said corresponding travel paths respectively; 
 wherein said corresponding travel paths are oriented parallel to a longitudinal length of said passageway as well as said top and bottom surfaces of said mattress respectively; 
 wherein said corresponding travel paths are mutually exclusive and non-overlapping. 
 
     
     
       3. The multi-purpose bed of  claim 2 , wherein said corresponding travel paths are linear and defined adjacent to said passageway such that said panels do not penetrate said passageway when displaced between said open and closed positions respectively. 
     
     
       4. The multi-purpose bed of  claim 1 , wherein said independent panel adapting means comprises:
 a plurality of guide arms extending away from an interior wall of said mattress and spanning beneath said openings respectively, said guide arms being oriented along first and second linear rows facing opposite sides of said interior wall, said guide arms having a longitudinal length registered perpendicular to said longitudinal length of said passageway and maintaining a fixed spatial relationship from an adjacent one of said guide arms within said first and second rows respectively, selected ones of said spatial relationships being equal to a first linear distance and other ones of said spatial distances being equal to a second linear distance; and 
 a plurality of wheels connected to opposed corners of said panels respectively, said wheels having a fixed diameter that is greater than said first linear distance and less than said second linear distance respectively; 
 wherein said corresponding travel paths of said panels are arcuate and defined about oppositely situated fulcrum pivot axes defined at opposed ends of said panels respectively, said fulcrum pivot axes being oriented perpendicular to said longitudinal length of said passageway respectively, each of said fulcrum pivot axes being substantially aligned with said corresponding edges of said openings respectively such that said panels pivot downward and upward within said passageway respectively. 
 
     
     
       5. The multi-purpose bed of  claim 4 , wherein first and second ones of said wheels are respectively supported on top of a first pair of said guide arms at said first row and a second pair of said guide arms at said second row respectively, said first and second guide arm pairs maintaining said first linear distance therebetween respectively;
 wherein third and fourth ones of said wheels are respectively passed between a third pair of said guide arms at said first row and a fourth pair of said guide arms at said second row respectively, said third and fourth pairs of said guide arms maintaining said second linear distance therebetween respectively. 
 
     
     
       6. The multi-purpose bed of  claim 5 , wherein each of said panels is selectively pivoted about first and second arcuate paths and thereby independently articulated between a horizontally rested position and a vertically rested position traversing said longitudinal length of said passageway respectively. 
     
     
       7. The multi-purpose bed of  claim 6 , wherein said passageway is partitioned when at least one of said panels is pivoted to said vertically rested position respectively. 
     
     
       8. The multi-purpose bed of  claim 1 , wherein said independent panel adapting means comprises:
 first and second linear channels formed along oppositely facing medial and lateral ends of said panels respectively; 
 a plurality of juxtaposed notches formed within said inner wall of said mattress and situated subjacent to said openings respectively; 
 a first pair of spring-actuated levers passing through said first linear channel in such a manner that axially opposed ends of said first pair of levers are removably interfitted into corresponding ones of said notches respectively; 
 a second pair of spring-actuated levers passing through said second linear channel in such a manner that axially opposed ends of said second pair of levers are removably interfitted into corresponding ones of said notches respectively; 
 first and second access ports formed at top surfaces of said panels respectively; 
 wherein said axially opposed ends of said first and second lever pairs are resiliently displaced along first and second linear travels paths when proximal ends of said first and second lever pairs are resiliently displaced along third and fourth linear paths respectively such that said panels are caused to selectively pivot along said corresponding travel paths as desired by the user; 
 wherein said first and third linear travel paths are situated at a first lateral end of said panels while said second and fourth travel paths are situated at a second lateral end of said panels respectively so that said panels are selectively articulated along either of said first and second lateral ends respectively. 
 
     
     
       9. The multi-purpose bed of  claim 1 , wherein each of said pillows are U-shaped and comprises: a plurality of legs pivotally connected to a bottom surface thereof, said legs being selectively biased between folded and unfolded positions and thereby elevating said bottom surface of said pillows away from said top surface of said mattress for providing user comfort. 
     
     
       10. The multi-purpose bed of  claim 1 , wherein each of said pillows further comprises: a plurality of telescopically adjusted anchor pegs removably nested within corresponding orifices formed in said top surface of said mattress for maintaining said pillows at a substantially stable position during extended time periods. 
     
     
       11. A multi-purpose bed for permitting a user to comfortably lay face-down during extended time periods, said multi-purpose bed comprising:
 a mattress having a linear passageway formed between top and bottom surfaces of said mattress, said passageway extending towards a center of said mattress and being disposed between opposed longitudinal sides of said mattress such that ambient air is permitted to ingress and egress between said bottom and top surfaces of said mattress, said mattress further having a plurality of openings formed through said top surface thereof, each of said openings being suitably sized and shaped for receiving a user face thereat while the user is laying face-down on said top surface of said mattress; 
 a plurality of pillows removably attached to said top surface of said mattress and positioned along partial perimeters of said openings respectively such that the user face is supported adjacent to said openings while the user is laying face-down on said mattress; 
 a plurality of panels adjustably situated beneath said openings respectively; and 
 means for independently adapting each of said panels between open and closed positions for permitting and prohibiting free flow of the ambient air through a corresponding one of said openings and said passageway respectively; 
 wherein each of said panels are displaced along corresponding travel paths extending subjacent to said openings and defined between said top and bottom surfaces of said mattress respectively for preventing air-borne fluids and debris from passing through said openings and said passageway respectively. 
 
     
     
       12. The multi-purpose bed of  claim 11 , wherein said independent panel adapting means comprises:
 a plurality of linear tracks formed along an interior wall of said mattress and spanning beneath said openings respectively, said linear tracks having a longitudinal length greater than a longitudinal length of said openings, said linear tracks outwardly extending away from a medial edge of said openings and terminating adjacent to said longitudinal sides of said mattress respectively; 
 wherein at least one portion of said panels is slidably interfitted within said linear tracks such that said panels remain disposed above said passageway and subjacent to said top surface of said mattress while being linearly displaced along said corresponding travel paths respectively; 
 wherein said corresponding travel paths are oriented parallel to a longitudinal length of said passageway as well as said top and bottom surfaces of said mattress respectively; 
 wherein said corresponding travel paths are mutually exclusive and non-overlapping. 
 
     
     
       13. The multi-purpose bed of  claim 12 , wherein said corresponding travel paths are linear and defined adjacent to said passageway such that said panels do not penetrate said passageway when displaced between said open and closed positions respectively. 
     
     
       14. The multi-purpose bed of  claim 11 , wherein said independent panel adapting means comprises:
 a plurality of guide arms extending away from an interior wall of said mattress and spanning beneath said openings respectively, said guide arms being oriented along first and second linear rows facing opposite sides of said interior wall, said guide arms having a longitudinal length registered perpendicular to said longitudinal length of said passageway and maintaining a fixed spatial relationship from an adjacent one of said guide arms within said first and second rows respectively, selected ones of said spatial relationships being equal to a first linear distance and other ones of said spatial distances being equal to a second linear distance; and 
 a plurality of wheels connected to opposed corners of said panels respectively, said wheels having a fixed diameter that is greater than said first linear distance and less than said second linear distance respectively; 
 wherein said corresponding travel paths of said panels are arcuate and defined about oppositely situated fulcrum pivot axes defined at opposed ends of said panels respectively, said fulcrum pivot axes being oriented perpendicular to said longitudinal length of said passageway respectively, each of said fulcrum pivot axes being substantially aligned with said corresponding edges of said openings respectively such that said panels pivot downward and upward within said passageway respectively. 
 
     
     
       15. The multi-purpose bed of  claim 14 , wherein first and second ones of said wheels are respectively supported on top of a first pair of said guide arms at said first row and a second pair of said guide arms at said second row respectively, said first and second guide arm pairs maintaining said first linear distance therebetween respectively;
 wherein third and fourth ones of said wheels are respectively passed between a third pair of said guide arms at said first row and a fourth pair of said guide arms at said second row respectively, said third and fourth pairs of said guide arms maintaining said second linear distance therebetween respectively. 
 
     
     
       16. The multi-purpose bed of  claim 15 , wherein each of said panels is selectively pivoted about first and second arcuate paths and thereby independently articulated between a horizontally rested position and a vertically rested position traversing said longitudinal length of said passageway respectively. 
     
     
       17. The multi-purpose bed of  claim 16 , wherein said passageway is partitioned when at least one of said panels is pivoted to said vertically rested position respectively. 
     
     
       18. The multi-purpose bed of  claim 11 , wherein said independent panel adapting means comprises:
 first and second linear channels formed along oppositely facing medial and lateral ends of said panels respectively; 
 a plurality of juxtaposed notches formed within said inner wall of said mattress and situated subjacent to said openings respectively; 
 a first pair of spring-actuated levers passing through said first linear channel in such a manner that axially opposed ends of said first pair of levers are removably interfitted into corresponding ones of said notches respectively; 
 a second pair of spring-actuated levers passing through said second linear channel in such a manner that axially opposed ends of said second pair of levers are removably interfitted into corresponding ones of said notches respectively; 
 first and second access ports formed at top surfaces of said panels respectively; 
 wherein said axially opposed ends of said first and second lever pairs are resiliently displaced along first and second linear travels paths when proximal ends of said first and second lever pairs are resiliently displaced along third and fourth linear paths respectively such that said panels are caused to selectively pivot along said corresponding travel paths as desired by the user; 
 wherein said first and third linear travel paths are situated at a first lateral end of said panels while said second and fourth travel paths are situated at a second lateral end of said panels respectively so that said panels are selectively articulated along either of said first and second lateral ends respectively. 
 
     
     
       19. The multi-purpose bed of  claim 11 , wherein each of said pillows are U-shaped and comprises: a plurality of legs pivotally connected to a bottom surface thereof, said legs being selectively biased between folded and unfolded positions and thereby elevating said bottom surface of said pillows away from said top surface of said mattress for providing user comfort. 
     
     
       20. A method for permitting a user to comfortably lay face-down during extended time periods, said method comprising the chronological steps of:
 a. providing a mattress having a linear passageway formed between top and bottom surfaces of said mattress, said passageway extending towards a center of said mattress and being disposed between opposed longitudinal sides of said mattress such that ambient air is permitted to ingress and egress between said bottom and top surfaces of said mattress, said mattress further having a plurality of openings formed through said top surface thereof, each of said openings being suitably sized and shaped for receiving a user face thereat while the user is laying face-down on said top surface of said mattress; 
 b. providing and removably attaching a plurality of pillows to said top surface of said mattress by positioning said pillows along partial perimeters of said openings respectively such that the user face is supported adjacent to said openings while the user is laying face-down on said mattress; 
 c. providing and adjustably situating a plurality of panels beneath said openings respectively; 
 d. permitting and prohibiting free flow of the ambient air through a corresponding one of said openings and said passageway by independently adapting each of said panels between open and closed positions respectively; and 
 e. preventing air-borne fluids and debris from passing through said openings and said passageway by displacing each of said panels along corresponding travel paths extending subjacent to said openings and defined between said top and bottom surfaces of said mattress respectively.